i will be starting work on my next record soon. i'm very much looking forward to that. speaking of new records, the one that we started and got over half done with paul at abbey road a while back is now almost finished. it's very dynamic and colorful. at the moment paul and producer david kahne are finishing it up in the uk. that's about it for now. please let me know what you're up to.

For all his fame and fortune, that's still the rule Sir Paul McCartney lives by. Clad in a T-shirt and slacks, with guitar in hand, the music legend displays his unassuming style -- even during a live serenade to the crew orbiting in the International Space Station -- in the new A&E Network special "Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us" Saturday, Oct. 28.

Principally a concert performance filmed last November in Anaheim, Calif., during the former Beatle's 11-week U.S. tour, the program also profiles the present-day McCartney (minus mention of his breakup with second wife Heather).

Notables including former President Bill Clinton, Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs, Tony Bennett and filmmaker Cameron Crowe comment on McCartney's impact, not just on the music industry but as a social force.

The ever-active McCartney has comments of his own on the show and also on his life and times.

Q: How was it to play for fans who were in outer space?

A: That was just so cool! It was absolutely stunning. Over the years, you've seen broadcasts from space, and none of us have ever been part of it. Originally, the Discovery crew had been welcomed back to Earth with "Good Day Sunshine," and that led to a relationship between our people and NASA. Suddenly, it was put to me that we could do this live thing, and I went, "Whoa!"

I felt like sort of a global TV presenter, actually being able to interact with guys who were in space. I had 17,000 people (the Anaheim concert attendees) saying "Good morning" to these two guys who were 220 miles directly above us. It was very exciting, and you can see it on the audience's faces.

Q: Did you have any fear that at the last minute, the logistics wouldn't work out?

A: You know what? The strangest thing is that it was not in my mind at all. I'm sure it was in the minds of some of my crew, since they're the ones who had to do it, but I've got such faith in them. They had high-tech linkups and all that stuff, but when it came down to it, I just had a monitor in front of me and I said, "Flick it on when you've got contact. I don't need any other cue than that." It was so low-tech, it was ridiculous -- but it went so magically, it was one of the highs of my lifetime.

Q: How do you feel about being onstage and seeing the effect your music still has on people of all ages?

A: When I started this tour and realized I was going to go deeper into the Beatles songbook, I thought people my age and slightly younger were really going to like that. The big surprise was seeing the 10-year-olds who are completely up with it. They know the words better than I do.

American audiences are very warm and very receptive. It's always an amazing pleasure to play to them. The feedback you get, there's nothing like it. It's why you go on tour.

Q: Do you ever reflect on the depth you had in your songwriting at such a relatively young age?

A: Yeah, that's something I often think about. At the time, you're just writing something -- but now, having written so much, I can look back and think, "Wow, that phrase really pinpointed that emotion." Without being too immodest, I must say I'm proud to look back at the quality of the work of guys who were actually just young boys then.

Q: Given last winter's comparatively intimate PBS special filmed at London's Abbey Road Studios, were you purposely aiming to vary your performances during the past year?

A: I wouldn't like to be the kind of guy who just plays small clubs all the time, or the kind of guy who just plays big stadiums all the time. I like the idea of mix-and-match. It's a great luxury, but it keeps things fresh.

I've just done the classical album "Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart)," and at the same time, I've been working on a new album of (contemporary) songs. To be allowed to work in all these different fields, but with the same thread running through them, keeps me energetic and interested in the whole thing.

Q: Does such present creativity make you feel more free in returning to the many Beatles classics ("Let It Be," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Eleanor Rigby," "Please Please Me," etc.) you perform in "The Space Within Us"?

A: With (the group) Wings, I was always trying to avoid the Beatles stuff, because we had to establish Wings. I'd throw in a couple of little things, but I didn't want to suggest we couldn't get Wings going unless we pulled in the Beatles material. Once I got that out of the way, I was able to draw from both the Beatles and Wings, as well as new stuff.

I could look at it all and think, "Now, what does the audience want to hear?" I want to give them the best show they could imagine, and obviously, that involves Beatles stuff. It's a thrill going back to it, to re-examine it.

Q: How do you maintain the energy that keeps you going back out on the road and into the studio?

A: It's just that I love it. That's really what it is. I've never gotten bored; it continues to thrill me, and I'm very lucky. I have a job that intrigues me. It would be my hobby if it wasn't my job.[/quote]